O&M PHOTOVOLTAIC
Why is my solar power system producing less? Causes and solutions
About Solphenix
Pérols, Hérault
Is your solar power plant producing less than expected, or less than in previous years? A drop in photovoltaic production is never insignificant: every kilowatt-hour lost translates directly into lost revenue. In this article, Solphenix, a photovoltaic operation and maintenance (O&M) company based in Pérols (Hérault), reviews the most frequent causes of underperformance and concrete ways to identify and correct them.
PRACTICAL SUMMARY
The answer in brief
A photovoltaic power plant may produce less for several reasons: module fouling, inverter failure or aging, hot spots and faulty bypass diodes, natural degradation of the panels, new shades, wiring or connection faultsor even lack of monitoring allowing the detection of anomalies. Most of these causes are invisible to the naked eye and only reveal themselves with rigorous production monitoring and appropriate technical diagnosis, such as a thermal camera drone inspection.
PERFORMANCE & VIGILANCE
The 7 most frequent causes of a drop in production
Understanding the factors that negatively impact the performance of your photovoltaic system is the first step to optimizing your yields.
Without monitoring, a drop in production can go unnoticed for months. Remote monitoring enables the rapid detection of failures and performance issues, and therefore the effective resolution of problems before they have a lasting impact on your revenue.
ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY
How to identify the cause of underperformance?
Guessing isn't enough: intervening without a diagnosis risks treating the wrong problem. Three complementary approaches allow for the precise identification of the origin of a production decline.
Step 01
Analyze production data
Monitoring and remote surveillance allow for comparison of actual production with expected production, identification of deviations, and localization of faulty equipment. This is the starting point for any serious diagnosis.
Step 02
Inspect the installation on site
An on-site inspection allows verification of the condition of equipment, cabling and connections, and detection of anomalies that data alone does not reveal.
Step 03
Conducting a drone inspection with a thermal camera
Thermal imaging by drone, performed by a certified professional pilot (Professional Drone Pilot Certificate — European Specific Category STS-01/STS-02), quickly and accurately detects hot spots, faulty bypass diodes, and overheating connections. You obtain a detailed thermal map of the actual condition of your power plant, module by module.
FOCUS TECHNIQUE
The special case of SolarMax inverters
Among aging inverters, SolarMax inverters deserve special attention. Since the manufacturer no longer provides after-sales service, operators using these inverters struggle to find qualified technicians and spare parts. An unresolved SolarMax inverter failure can therefore shut down a portion of production for extended periods.
Solphenix specializes in the maintenance and repair of SolarMax inverters: we can source compatible spare parts and restore these systems to service. Solphenix is an independent specialist for this equipment and is not an official SolarMax partner; official SolarMax service in France is provided by Emasolar.
FAQ TECHNIQUE
Frequently asked questions about production declines
Quickly identify the source of performance anomalies and discover solutions to optimize the performance of your industrial and solar installations.
A sudden drop can be caused by hardware failures, voltage variations on the network, extreme weather conditions or rapid fouling of your production equipment.
Thanks to our real-time connected monitoring systems, they continuously analyze performance and instantly alert you via email or SMS as soon as a deviation from nominal output is detected.
Uncorrected underperformance can reduce the overall efficiency of your fleet by 5% to 15% per year, resulting in direct financial losses and accelerating premature wear of critical components.
Yes, our qualified technical teams will intervene within 24 to 48 hours depending on your maintenance contract to diagnose and resolve the anomaly directly at your production site.
